Lionel Messi Not Done Yet and Two Other Lessons from Argentina’s Win Over Algeria
Argentina began their 2026 FIFA World Cup title defence in impressive fashion with a 3-0 victory over Algeria, thanks to a stunning hat-trick from captain Lionel Messi.
The 38-year-old showed once again why he remains one of football’s greatest players. On his 200th appearance for Argentina, Messi scored all three goals to help the reigning champions secure an important opening win in Group J.
His hat-trick took his World Cup goals tally to 16, drawing level with Germany legend Miroslav Klose as the competition’s highest scorer in history.
Here are three major lessons from Argentina’s victory.
1. Lionel Messi Is Not Done Yet
Many wondered why Messi decided to continue playing for Argentina after winning the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
The veteran forward answered those questions with a brilliant performance against Algeria.
Just days before his 39th birthday, Messi produced moments of magic, scoring a beautiful curling opener before adding two more goals in the second half.
He also became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick and proved he still has the quality to lead Argentina’s attack on the biggest stage.
If this display is anything to go by, Messi is far from finished and remains one of the key players in Argentina’s quest for another world title.
2. Argentina Look Ready to Defend Their Crown
Argentina’s previous World Cup title defences ended badly. They lost their opening matches in both 1982 and 1990 after entering those tournaments as champions.
This time, things were different.
Despite facing a determined Algerian side, Argentina stayed patient and controlled important periods of the match. The team looked organised, confident and experienced.
With players such as Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Nicolas Gonzalez providing quality, Argentina showed signs that they have what it takes to challenge for another World Cup trophy.
3. Algeria Must Learn From Costly Mistakes
Algeria showed flashes of quality and even had a goal ruled out during an exciting first half.
However, costly errors proved expensive. Goalkeeper Luca Zidane’s mistake allowed Messi to score Argentina’s second goal, while defensive lapses gave the Argentine captain too much space.
The North Africans will need to improve defensively if they hope to progress from Group J.
Despite the defeat, Algeria showed enough attacking promise to believe they can bounce back in their remaining matches against Jordan and Austria.
Argentina will now turn their attention to their next group game against Austria, with Messi aiming to move ahead of Klose and become the outright leading scorer in World Cup history.
